Case for player-pianos.



No. 886,133. PATBNTED APR. 28, 1903.

H. J. KIBFBR.

CASE FOR PLAYER PIANOS. APPLICATION rum ma. a, 1908.

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PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

H. J. KIEPER GASE FOR PLAYER PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED r23. e, 1908.

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HERMAN .T. KIE FER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,'.ASSIGNOR TOTHE LAFFARGUE CO., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CASE FOR PLAYER-PIANOSl Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1908.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN J. KLIEFER, a

, citizen of the United. States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Cases for Player- Pianos; and I do hereby declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cases for player pianos and has for its object to provide means for accommodating the motor pedals within the case, and improved. means for opening and closing a section of the case to permit access to said pedals.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a player piano case an opening in its front wal a closure slidable relative to the case and proportioned to close the opening, and improved means connected with the front of the piano for opening and closing such case.

With these'and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain novel construc tions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:-Figure 1 is a perspective View of the front board of a player piano showing the reverse or rearward side of the same and exhibiting the present invention associated therewith. Fig. 2 is a view of the interior of the player piano case; seen from the rear showing the present invention as sociated therewith and shown in dotted lines en. Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional view of a conventional player piano case with the present invention associated therewith. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the closure operating means.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The present invention is adapted. for association with a player piano case of substantially the usual construction shown conventionally at and comprises a front board 11 having its lower end sockets 12 the base being provided with dowels 13 proportioned to be seated within the sockets and the said board held in lace in any approved manner as by the spring detent 14 disposed within.

the recess 15 and having a shoulder engaging the outer surface of the board and maintaining it normally against the abutments 16.

The front board 11 is provided with an opening 17 adjacent the base and preferably central longitudinally of the board and behind which the usual and ordinary pedals of the player piano are located. At its rearward side the front board is provided with guides 18 secured thereto in any approved manner and between which a closure 19 movesslidable vertically to o en and close the opening 17. To actuate tie closure 19 a lever 20 is pivoted in any approved manner as to the bracket 21 and connected with the closure 19 as by the link 22. At its end opposite the link 22 the lever 20 is provided with a cam surface 23 inclined to the length of the lever 20 and accommodated by means of a head 24 carried by said lever.

To actuate the lever 20 a shaft 25 is ournaled as in the bearings 26 and is provided at its inner end with an arm 27 carrying a rollerv 28 engaging the cam surface 23 which latter is provided with a stop 29 positioned to limit the movement of the roller 28 upon the said cam surface. The external end of the shaft 25 is provided with a crank 30 and handle 31 by which the shaft 25 may be moved rotatably to move the roller 28 from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to the position 28 shown in dotted lines in the same figure, thereby moving the lever 20 from the full line position to the position 20 and lifting closure 19. It will be seen that when the closure is at its highest )oint the roller 28 has passed by the center of its pivot on the shaft 25 so that it maintains the clo* sure in such open position until released by a retroactive movement of the shaft 25. The crank 80 and handle 31 are preferably disosed immediately under the keyboard and for convenience at the right hand end of the piano case where the operator will have easy and immediate access thereto when it is desirable to either open or close the closure 19.

It is, of course, understood that the case and associate parts shown in the drawings are only conventional and that the usual and ordinary accessories are in ractice associated therewith, which forming no part of the combination with a player iano case, of a closure vertically slidable, a ever pivoted to the case and positioned to actuate the closure, of a head carried by the lever, a roller positioned to move upon and actuate the head and lever, and means without the case to actuate the roller.

2. The combination with a player piano case, of an opening in the front of the said case, of a closure proportioned to close the said opening, and slidable vertically, a lever pivoted adjacent the opening, and o eratively connected with the closure, a heat carried by the lever and provided with a surface inclined to the length of the lever, a shaft journaled adjacent the closure and having one end within and the other end without the case, a roller carried by the inner end of the shaft, and manipulating meanscarried by the outer end of the shaft. ,13" In My 3. The combination with a layer piano case, of a front board removab y associated therewith, and provided with a pedal openm a closure for the said pedal opening slidab le vertically of the front board, a lever pivoted to the front board, and removable therewith, and a crank ournaled to the case and adapted to engage with and operate the lever when the front board is in position in the case.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HERMAN J. KIEFER. Witnesses:

CHAS. W. BOGART, JosEPn OKTAVEC. 

